Hodder & Stoughton A Time for Mercy: John Grisham's Latest No. 1 Bestseller

It's not difficult to understand what John Grisham thinks about the law. Or rather, how the law is practised in America. In this book one case is the main issue but also other cases from Jake Brigance's law practise are mixed in. Both the legal and human aspects in the book are varied and thoroughly described.Some may think that "A Time for Mercy" is a bit too detailed. That people's backgrounds and lives in general may not be necessary in order to tell this story. I do not agree. There is a lot of wisdom to find both in what is written and between the lines.Small town lawyer Jake Brigance is a wonderful hero. A brilliant lawyer with perhaps a far too big heart. We met him the first time in "A Time to Kill". Now he is back with another heart rending story about the struggle and bad luck of the less fortunate.Were it not for the sarcasm and humour, this would be a dark and sad book, indeed. But Grisham manages to mix the quirks of humanity in with his stories, however gruesome many of the details."A Time for Mercy" is not a book to read overnight. There is too much to dwell upon, to savour. This is not a typical Grisham fast, entertaining legal thriller. It's a novel which goes a lot deeper into humanity, who we are, what we are, what we would wish to be.Take your time with Grisham's new masterpiece. Stop in between and ponder the wisdom and honesty. And I'm sure you, like I did, will meet yourself in the author's soulbaring honesty.

He's done it again. Grisham has produced another thriller that has an unbelievably smart plot but also pushes you to think more than any other thriller writer, and not in a "can you guess the twist" way, but in a way that makes you consider what is morally right and what does your gut think.In A Time For Mercy, Drew has shot his mother's boyfriend, there's no doubt about who killed Stuart but does Drew deserve to be sent to the gas chamber?With Stuart being a cop, the whole of Clanton are rallying behind the police to see justice served. But the more time Drew spends locked in jail, the more the cops realise he's just a small, underdeveloped sixteen year old boy. But he's guilty...Jake Brigance has been given little choice about being Drew's lawyer and watches the town turn against him... again, because as a Grisham fan, I know Jake. Jake was the star of A Time To Kill when he defended Carl Lee and also takes on the Hubbard case in Sycamore Row. I love Jake! He's a good father, a loving husband and a cracking lawyer, so it was good to be reunited with him!If anyone could save Drew from death row, I knew Jake could, but with the evidence so clear how can he get the jury to approach this case in a different way... and have mercy.Grisham has created another flawlessly complex plot that packed in so much detail but never managed to lose it's pace, it was gripping from the start to the finish.Drew's case was fascinating to read, I assumed Jake would use the same tactics he used in Carl Lee's case, and whilst he considered it, Drew's case was a completely different can of worms. I loved watching it unravel and seeing Jake's mind work as he brainstormed through all his options.Another bonus of being back with Jake and his family was the insight into their lives, it was great to catch up with them but also to witness the effect Drew's case had on them all, a lot to ponder throughout!Comforting ~ because there's nothing I love more than a Grisham novelClever ~ how does Grisham always pack in so much detail and so much pace and so many genius moves in a trial?!Addictive ~ again... what would Jake's next move be?Nobody does it better... *get Carly Simon's lyrics going in your head*... than Grisham. He is the king of trial plots!

A Time for Mercy, published in late 2020, is the 37th, and latest, novel from the prolific pen of John Grisham (with another novel, Sooley, due for release in late 2021). Apart from his genuinely mature novels (which includes his one non-fiction novel, The Innocent Man), Grisham’s writing includes 7 additional novels written for younger readers, the Theodore Boone series, and several novellas (preludes, short stories and a short non-fiction thriller called The Tumour). Each of the novellas appear in Amazon’s Kindle Editions.This reviewer has read all of John Grisham’s literary works, but, hopefully, my enthusiasm for the volume of his writing will not unduly influence my review of the merits of his latest to be read.For many readers of fiction, a new John Grisham legal thriller is always an event, but this one is exceptional as the author is returning to Jake Brigance, the hero of his very first book, A Time to Kill. As the publicity material for the most recent novel states, “There is a lot of Grisham in Brigance - they were both street lawyers on the side of the people, not big corporations. It gives the book an emotional core that burns with a white heat”. So too, Grisham is “A master of plotting and pacing “, and A Time for Mercy is “suspenseful”.The ending of A Time for Mercy may leave some readers wondering about Grisham’s approach in this story, But that merely adds to its development and intrigue. What is not in question is the fact that, once again, John Grisham demonstrates that he is a master story-teller - one who know the law and is experienced in its practice. As the publicity material for the book says, Grisham’s novel is pulsating, instinctive, pacey and tension -filled. The narrative shows a master at work, with short chapters that begin and end scenes, but never allows the reader to escape from what is being revealed.The story is about the killing of Stuart Kofer, a police officer. Kofer, though a respected policeman amongst his peers, has a penchant for drunken brutality, and regularly practices his art on his partner, Josie. The effects of Kofer’s behavious are visited on Josie’s son, Drew, and her daughter, Kiera. As a family, they are in fear of their lives. One night, Kofer’s drunken brutality goes too far, leaving Josie for dead on the floor, before he passes out. Drew, Josie’s 16-year-old son, believing that he has only one chance to save his mother and sister, “picks up a gun and takes the law into his own hands.” The consequences of this action are revealed as the narrative unfolds.It seems that there is only one lawyer in Clanton, a town in Ford County (see Grisham’s book of short stories of the same name), Mississippi, who has the experience to defend Drew - Jake Brigance (the lawyer figures in one of Grisham’s earliest novels, A Time to Kill - the reader will note the link in the titles of the two novels featuring Jake Brigance). Brigance enjoys a good reputation in Clanton and is well-liked. But no lawyer wants to defend a cop-killer. Brigance has little choice but to do so, and, as the “town of Clanton discovers once again, when Jake Brigance takes on an impossible case, anything is possible….”.A Time for Mercy is quite a long novel, due mainly to the occasional reiteration of detail and the fact that Grisham fills out the description - both the physical and psychological natures - of his characters. The secondary characters in the story are also given their due place, and this helps both to make the story more human and interesting. The primary question that seems to be posed by the story is “Can a killer ever be above the law?”The way in which Grisham deals with this question may cause a division of opinion in Grisham’s readership, perhaps giving an insight into the personal ideas and beliefs of the writer. That John Grisham can elucidate such thoughts and feelings in his 37th novel, is quite extraordinary, and expresses the quality and depth of the author’s background experience, imagination, and literary skillsThere is no valid reason to deny John Grisham’s latest novel, A Time for Mercy, a typical high recommendation, and a 5* rating..

Better than Pelican brief, his former novel which lacked legal maneuvering and mainly boring. This novel moves along nicely keeping interest, always introducing new wrinkles, and unlike Pelican Brief, deals with the legal process-- an interest of mine in Grisham. However, the ending is muddled. Seems that Grisham couldn't decide the moral/legal issues he had created with his teenage character and bluffed his way to a conclusion of the novel if not resolving the morality/legality of the case. Or is the reader to decide? If so, too postmodern for this type of novel.

My copy was all out of order, printed badly. Had to return it and get a refund. Then bought the book at Coles ( Indigo)) downtown. Do not bother to buy this book unless you are absolutely committed to pro life matters. It is a blatantly horrible depiction of a girl being forced at the age of fourteen to carry the child of a pedophile who is her step parent and a policeman. It brings back the character of Jake Brigance, and he uses the girl to advance his case in a unimaginable way and loses all credence of being a honorable human being in doing so. It is badly written, badly put together and alarming on all levels. While everyone is entitled to views, a child who is raped is not a weapon for a religious right cause. I will not buy anymore of his titles after reading this sickening book.